Former Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane made his debut with the Orlando Magic and helped them secure their first win against the Grizzlies' next opponent, the Miami Heat. Following his 23-point performance, he stated that his new teammate, Paolo Banchero, provides the first time he has ever been in a pick-and-roll situation with somebody that’s feared more than or equally as much as he is on the offensive end of the court.
Meanwhile, current Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr.'s game was on full display in the Grizzlies' season-opening win against the New Orleans Pelicans. He finished second on the team in scoring with 18 points, led the team in rebounds with eight, and blocked six shots on the defensive end of the court.
However, most of those stats occurred in the first three quarters as he fouled out of the game with 2:50 remaining in a one-possession game on an offensive screen he was setting for Ja Morant. Four of his six fouls came in the first half of the game, and four were also on the offensive end of the court, similar to the one that fouled him out of the game.
Most Grizzlies fans took offense to Desmond Bane's comment, as Jaren Jackson Jr. is a two-time All-Star and a Defensive Player of the Year winner. However, Bane's quote wasn't so much a shot at Jaren but rather an admission of the strengths he provides versus Paolo Banchero.
Jaren needs to become a better screener
Former coach Taylor Jenkins shied away from using Jaren as an on-ball screener, opting to use the Grizzlies' centers as the main screeners for Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. As shown in the Grizzlies' preseason finale against the Heat and their regular-season opener against the Pelicans, Jaren Jackson Jr. is a work-in-progress in that department.
Fans like to argue who's more at fault for that part of his game not being developed, going into his eighth season, between Taylor Jenkins and Jaren Jackson Jr. The truth is that two things can be true with both being at fault, and current coach Tuomas Iisalo appears to be attempting to add that layer to his game through the peaks and valleys.
Jaren Jackson Jr. gets the majority of his points on offense through isolation and spotting up at the three-point line. He and Ja Morant have yet to consistently develop chemistry in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop scenarios throughout their time playing together.
The polarizing nature of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s game is that he plays more like a guard in a big man's body, but has a dominant trait on the defensive end as a shot blocker. Rebounding and screening haven't been his strengths, but he showed some upside in one of those departments (eight rebounds) on opening night. Now, he needs to show upside on the screening side as Tuomas Iisalo plans to play him through trial and error.